Do you want to know a secret ?

Chapter 14: Hold Me Tight

"I can't believe this is real." He said sitting across from me at the table after we'd just ordered our food.

"You, can't believe this is real?" I laughed in amazement.

"Yeah, is that so hard to believe?" He grinned and I could see his canines. It suited him extremely well and his laugh gave me butterflies every time.

"Yes, well I mean, sure," I responded. "but— you're... well," I sighed deeply, my head was spinning.

His eyes sparkled. "I'm what?"

"Never mind."

He laughed his beautiful laugh at me and took a sip of his water.

"It's just been so surreal, you know? Meeting you, all of you... You're all such nice people and I feel so lucky. It— it's hard to explain."

"I understand."

"Thanks by the way, for all of this." I discreetly waved my hands around in the air in front of my face, gesturing to our surroundings. "You know, taking me out and stuff." The restaurant was nice but not too much or over the top. It was small and had a nice atmosphere with candles everywhere and a fireplace being the main light sources. All together it was romantic.

"Don't thank me, surely I can take a girl out for dinner without a fuss." He shook his head, and laughed to himself. "I've actually wanted to ask you out for quite some time now. But well, I kept chickening out." He blushed a little and chuckled.

I don't know why I asked him; "really?" Because I was already quite aware for some time. But he did seem glad that I 'hadn't noticed'.

We talked more about music and how exciting it all was, with them making their first record. He asked me about my family and friends. I told him I was about to start studying history at the university of Amsterdam in half a year. Shortly after, the food arrived. When we were done we shared a bottle of wine.

"How old are you by the way?" He quickly gulped down a sip of wine. "If it's not impolite to ask... is it? I'm not very good at that sort of thing. I'm sorry."

"Well if they are over a certain age most women wouldn't like to say, but I'm eighteen." I laughed when he looked a little flustered.

"Right... well I'm—"

"Nineteen."

"That was fast."

Neither of us spoke he just looked at me in a weird way.

"Paul told me." I explained.

I was really hoping that he wouldn't notice how much I used that same excuse for everything all the time. And I cringed heavily when he did.

"Paul seems to have told you a lot of things huh?" He took another sip. Knotting his eyebrows together.

"Well only because I,— asked him about you."

Google, not Paul, had told me most things I knew about George, so i wasn't completely lying to him. But for how much longer could I keep telling myself that?

"Oh—," he seemed genuinely surprised at that. "That's uh..." he didn't finish his sentence and took another sip instead.

———

"Okay but you really didn't need to pay,"

"Nonsense, I asked you out didn't I?" He shrugged it off, while pulling his coat on a little tighter in the cold night air. "Plus, I'm a gentleman." He bumped my shoulder. "I'd not let you anywhere near the bill."